Piston ring



A118. 8, 1942. H. P. PHILLIPS 2,293,626

PISTON RING Filed July 5, 1941 INVENTOR.

ATTOR mm.

Patented Aug. 18, 1942 PISTON RING Harold P. Phillips Hastings, Mich.,assignor to Hastings Manufacturing Company, Hastings,

. Mich.

Application July 5, 1941, Serial No. 401,283

The main objects of my invention are:

First, to provide an improved, multi-part piston ring assembly and meansof novel character for securing certain of said parts in predeterminedangularly spaced relation.

Secondfto provide a structure of this type which is easily installed andwhich is very simple and inexpensive. Third, to provide a piston ringassembly of the type described enabling the various parts,

thereof to be positioned relative to one another practically any desiredangular relationship, and ,in th most advantageous locations on theassembly as a whole. I

Further objects relating to details and economies of my invention willappear from th description to follow. The invention is defined in theclaims.

A structure embodying the features of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view illustrating a piston ringassembly in accordance with. my invention in operative, installedposition relative to a piston and cylinder, which are conventionallyshown in section.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view illustrating thefeatures of my invention in a preferred embodiment thereof, and

Fig. 3 is an enlargedfragmentary view in section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

It is generally conceded by those skilled in the art relating to themanufacture of piston rings that improved performanc results frommaintaining a certain angularly spaced relationship between the cylinderwall engaging elements of certain types of multiple part piston rings.Assemblies heretofore produced with this general end in mind have,however, for the most part been diflicult to install and in many casesobjectionable because of danger to the ring assembly orcylinder wall orboth if not installed with precision and extreme accuracy. In otherproposed. arrangements effective locking of the elements is secured onlyat the sacrifice of uniformity of the cylinder wall pressure exerted bythe assembly.

Thepresent invention corrects these difficulties while at the same timesecuring a multiple cylinder wall engaging element structure wherein thecylinder wall engaging elements are prevented from rotation relative toone another once they have inevitably assumed a predetermined desiredangular relationship. In achieving this 3 Claims. (Cl. 309- 14) turesshown in my copending No, 322,899, filed March 8, 1940.

Referring to the drawing the reference numeral I designates an internalcombustion engine piston adapted to reciprocate in a cylinder II andprovided with a groove for the reception application Serial of thepiston ring assembly of my invention which is designated generally bythe reference numeral 2. This assembly consists of upper and lowerannular, thin, split, cylinder wall engaging elements 3 preferably ofribbon steel disposed for edge engagement with the cylinder wall and anintermediate spacer 4 which may be of cast-iron or other suitablematerial, and is, in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2, provided withventilation notches or recesses 5 for use in an oil groove. The assemblyis, to this extent, similar to that shown in my Patent No. 2,148,997ofFebruary 28, 1939.

The foregoing assembly'of parts is disposed in the piston groove and aninner crimped expanding spring 6, the axial dimension of which isapproximately equal to the axial dimension of the assembly, is disposedradially internally of the latter for expanding engagement with thecylinder wall engaging elements or segments 3. These latter coact withthe outwardly projecting, curved crimps 1 of the spring 6 in securingthe objects of my invention.

The elements 3 are of a hard, tempered. grade of steel possessed ofsubstantial radial resilience or spring, however at the ends 8 thereofadjacent the ring-gap. they are annealed by heat treatment, asillustrated in Fig. 3, this treatment enabling the ends to be worked inthe manner contemplated by my invention. Such working consists in thehammering, rolling or swedging the ends of the elements radiallyinwardly so as to form the projections 9, both ends having been shown asformed in this manner, although if desired only one thereof may be soworked within the contemplation of my invention.

The projections 9 are engageable with any desired one of the crimps I ofthe expanding spring 6 so as to effectively prevent angular movement ofthe element 3 on which they are formed and they perform this purposewithout detracting from the action of the spring or unbalancing itseffectiveness peripherally of the cylinder wall engaging elementorelements.

Formation of the projections is accomplished with ease and speed andther are obviously no end I have adopted to some extent certainfeadifiiculties from the standpoint of installation. There is nonecessity to locate and engage the various coacting interlocking meanson the parts I of the ring assembly and all that is necessary for themechanic installing the assembly to do is to stagger the ends of theelements or sections of the assembly at approximately the relativepositions recommended by the ring manufacturers. If the recommendationsare followed there is no possibility of an installation in which anerror exists sufficient to effect the uniformity of pressure of the wallengaging elements 3 or the assembly as a whole. As a matter of fact, ifno pains at all are taken in installing the elements 3 no serious harmwill result.

The present arrangement permits spacing and locating of an element of amultiple section ring at any desired point within the range of theangular spacing of the crimps of the inner expanding spring 6, within anegligible margin of error. In practically any installation thedeparture from true uniformity of spacing could not amount to over ,4;to ,6 of the total circumference.

It is, of course, important in the present invention that the notch ornotches 9 do not decrease the radial dimensions of the elements at thepoint where the notch occurs. The elements have full cylinder wallengaging and sealing action except at the gap thereof. In my copendingapplication Serial No. 322,899, referred to above, I explain at somelength the advantage of annealing the ends of a tempered steel detent orsectionat or immediately adjacent the gap in the interests of uniformwearing of the ring element and application of force to the cylinderwall. Bearing this in mind, the ends of the present elements aredesirably left in annealed form following formation of the projections 9thereon, but if found desirable or advisable, they may be rehardened.The expander engaging portions of the projections 9 are preferablycurved to coact with the curved crimps of the expanders. The foregoingstructure is very effective indeed for its intended purpose,notwithstanding the extreme simplicity, inexpensiveness and fool-proofcharacter thereof, It will be noted that this structure requires nospecial formation of the inner expanding spring which would add to theexpense and bother of installation, likewise involving a possible chancefor error in the event of careless installation. All that it isnecessary to do in my st ucture is to slip the ring elements 3 in placethe approximate desired position relative to one another and to thespacer, whereupon, following initial operation of the assembly, theywill assume the desired fixed, angular relation to one another. Theindependent radial action of the members is not interfered with orrestricted in any manner.

An embodiment of the invention which incorporates the principles of theinvention in a highly desirable manner has been illustrated anddescribed. It should be understood that the foregoing terminology isused only descriptively rather than in a limiting sense, and with fullintention to include equivalents of the features shown and described,within the scope of the following claims;

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a piston ring assembly of the type described, a pair of thin,split, expansible, axially spaced cylinder wall engaging elements oftempered spring steel, and a crimped expanding spring disposed behindsaid elements for radial expanding engagement therewith, said elementsbeing radially inwardly deformed adjacent the gap thereof to increasethe radial dimension of the elements at this point and provide aninternal projection, the elements being uniformly engageablewith thecylinder wall throughout the periphery thereof including the point ofincreased mediately adjacent the gap thereof to provide internalprojections engageable with the crimps of said expanding means toprevent rotation of the element relative to said means in the operationof the assembly.

3. In a piston ring, a thin, annular, split, expansible, cylinder wallengaging element of tempered, ribbon steel adapted for edge engagementwith a cylinder wall, said element having an end thereof adjacent to thegap thereof annealed and deformed inwardly to provide an internal radialprojection of substantial size adapted for anchoring engagement with thecrimp of an expanding spring, said end being of greater radial dimensionthan the part of the element immediately adjacent thereto for uniformengagement of the element with a cylinder wall throughout thecircumference of the element.

HAROLD P. PHILLIPS.

